Modular cabinet structure



States Patent Ofiice 2,709,634 Patented May 31, 1955 MODULAR CABINET STRUCTURE Floyd A. Blashfield, Evanston, Ill., assignor to American Hospital Supply Corporation, Evanston, 11]., a corporation of Iliinois Application November 30, 1951, Serial No. 259,274 6 Claims. (Cl. 312-111) This invention relates to a modular cabinet structure. The structure is particularly useful in forming a cabinet within an opening or recess within a wall.

An object of the invention is to provide a cabinet which may be formed from a number of units, the units being of a simple structure permitting ready assembly to form a cabinet having various sizes and types of compartments, etc. A further object is to provide a means and method for combining units of a cabinet structure for support within the opening of a wall, the assembly of the cabinet units being accomplished with a minimum of labor while providing an extremely sturdy structure. A still further object is to provide a modular casing unit which may readily be combined with other units of different sizes and shapes for the ready fabrication of a cabinet which will fit a wall space while providing the desired compartments therein. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown in an illustrative embodiment by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a perspective view showing my new cabinet installed within an opening of a wall; Fig. 2, a perspective view of one of the units employed to form the cabinet, the casing structure and tubular frame therefor being shown in spaced-apart relation; Fig. 3, a transverse sectional detail view on an enlarged scale, the section being taken as indicated at line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a sectional detail view, the section being taken as indicated at line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5, an enlarged sectional detail view, the section being taken as indicated at line 5--5 of Fig. 1.

In the structure shown in the drawings, designates a casing which is formed preferably from a single sheet into the box-like structure illustrated in Fig. 2, the meeting edges of the sheet being welded together at 11. The corners of the casing 10 are preferably rounded as indicated at 12 in Fig. 4, and at the rear side, the casing 10 is provided with an inwardly-turned flange portion 13 to which may be spot-welded a back closure panel 14, as shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4. The casing 10 and the panel 14 thus provide a compartment which is open at its forward end. The casing 10 is provided at its forward and open side with outwardly-turned flange members 15, as shown best in Figs. 2 and 3.

To the flanges 15 of casing 10, l secure a 'perimetric tubular frame 16, and for this purpose screws 17 or other suitable means may be employed. The'perimetric'frames 16 form an important part of the structure in that they provide a rigid and supporting frame body at the forward end of the casing 10 and serve as a means for connecting similar units together along the front face of the cabinet. The frames 16, after they have been united along the front of the cabinet, further serve as a means for securing the entire cabinet firmly to the walls of the room about the opening in which the cabinet is received. The frames 16 not only form the supporting structure described, but also are adapted to receive and carry 2 doors for the various compartments, including hinged doors, siide door panels, etc.

I find that the tubular frames 16 can be secured together very rigidly through the use of screws 18 and 19, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. The screw 18 is provided with a threaded portion 20 of reduced diameter received within a threaded socket in the screw member 19. The reduced member 2t) extends through aligned openings of reduced diameter in the adjacent tubular members 16, and the inner ends of the screw members 18 and 19 form shoulders which bear against the adjacent walls of the members 16 to lock them rigidly together, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

While the sturdy tubular frames 16 at the forward end of each casing unit may be sufiicient to support the units within the opening, I prefer to equip each of the casing members it with connector clips 21, each. having a horizontal flange 22 and a vertical flange 23. Each of these flanges is provided with an aperture for receiving bolts or screws, and when two casing members 10 are brought together, the clips on each unit may be connected by bolts or screws passing through the openings in flanges 22 and 23. If desired, however, the tubular frame members 16, when united along the front side of the cabinet, may be employed as the support for the casing units.

1 will now describe a specific structure by which the united front frame of the cabinet formed by the securing together of the perimetric tubular frames may be secured to the wall about the opening in which the cabinet is received. As shown more clearly in Fig. 5, I secure a brackor member 24 to the wall member 25 and to the inwardlyextending flange 26 of the bracket member 24, I secure an angle connector member 27. member 27 has a forwardly-extending flange 28 which is apertured to receive the reduced end 29 of a screw member 30. A trim strip 31 is provided with an inwardlyextending spring flange 32, which may be slotted to extend about the threaded portion 29 of screw 3% and the trim strip may thus be pressed into the position shown after the frame member 16 has been secured to the angle connector 27 as already described. if desired, the flange 32 may be sprung partly out of the single plane in which it finally lies so that greater friction will be exerted by it within the space between the angle member and the outer tubular frame member 16.

The unit illustrated in Fig. 2 is a substantially square unit, but the shape of the unit may be varied widely, depending upon the shape of the compartment desired. For example, in the cabinet structure shown in Fig. 1, while the units 33 indicated at the bottom of the cabinet are substantially square in cross-section and correspond to that shown in Fig. 2, the side cabinets 34 above are elongated rectangular cabinets. In the center of the cabinet is a rectangular unit 35 having a tubular frame 16 thereabout and containing therein a number of slidablymounted drawers 36. While the various cabinets are of different shapes, they are all firmly united through the tubular frames and by means such as is shown in greater detail in Fig. 3.

With the structure shown, the various "units jrnay be shipped to a hospital or other building in which the cabinet is to be installed and the various units ,there assembled rapidly by connecting the tubular frame members 16. After the frame members 16 are connected, the outermost frame members 16 may then be joined to the wall through the use of the structure shown in Fig. 5. It is thus possible for the mechanic, after the units have reached the building, to vary the positions of the various units Within the cabinet to meet the needs of the room or building. Further, even after a cabinet has been installed and it is desired to rearrange the compartments therein, this may be accomplished by the separation of The angle connector 3 the various units and their reassembly in the manner desired.

While in the foregoing specification, have set forth a specific structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating an embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that such details of structure may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without dcparting from the spirit of my invention.

1 claim:

1. A cabinet structure, comprising a plurality of cas ing units, each forming a compartment and each equipped at its forward open end with means for securing a frame thereto, a perimetric tubular frame for each of said units and secured thereto by said means, and telescoping screw members carried interiorly of said frames for securing together adjacent tubular frames, said telescoping screw members comprising a screw extending through one side of a tubular frame and abutting the other side of the tubular frame and having a reduced threaded portion extending through the latter side and the contiguous side of the adjacent frame, and a rotatable screw received within the other tubular frame and having a threaded socket receiving the threaded portion of said first-mentioned screw.

2. A cabinet structure adapted to be received within a recess of a wall and comprising a plurality of casing units, each providing a compartment and each equipped at its forward open end with a laterally-extending flange thereabout, a perimetric tubular frame aligned with the said flanges of each casing unit and secured thereto, and concealed means carried within said frames connecting the perimetric frames together and the outer of said frames to the walls about said opening.

3. A cabinet structure, comprising a plurality of casing units, each providing a compartment and each being equipped with a perimetric tubular frame, the frames of adjacent casings being in substantial alignment and in substantially contiguous relation, the contiguous portions of the frames being provided with aligned apertures, and screw members carried interiorly of said frames in alignment with said apertures, said screw members having telescoping portions, one threadedly received within the other for securing said frame sections together.

4. A cabinet structure, comprising a plurality of casirlg units, each providing a compartment and each being equipped at its forward end with a laterally-extending flange, a perimetric tubular frame for each of said casings and secured to the flange thereof, the frames of adjacent casings being in substantial planar alignment and in substantially contiguous relation, the contiguous portions of the frames being provided with aligned apertures, and screw members carried in substantially concealed relation within said frames and in alignment with said apertures, said screw members having telescoping portions, one threadedly received within the other for securing said frame sections together.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which each of said casing units has an open forward end, and at least some of said casings are of different size.

6. The structure of claim 4 wherein said casing units are spaced apart and are equipped at their rear ends with laterally-extending fasteners providing vertical and horizontal flange portions, the flange portions of adjacent casing units being in substantial alignment and being also secured together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

